Shut Your Eyes Tight

A Novel

By: John Verdon

Narrated by: Scott Brick

Length: 17 hrs and 21 mins

Publisher's summary

When he was the NYPD’s top homicide investigator, Dave Gurney was never comfortable with the label the press gave him: super detective. He was simply a man who, when faced with a puzzle, wanted to know. He was called to the investigative hunt by the presumptuous arrogance of murderers - by their smug belief that they could kill without leaving a trace. There was always a trace, Gurney believed.

Except what if, one day, there wasn’t?

Dave Gurney, a few months past the Mellery case that pulled him out of retirement and then nearly killed him, is trying once again to adjust to his country house’s bucolic rhythms when he receives a call about a case so seductively bewildering that the thought of not looking into it seems unimaginable - even if his beloved wife, Madeleine, would rather he do anything but.

The facts of what has occurred are horrible: a blushing bride, newly wed to an eminent psychiatrist and just minutes from hearing her congratulatory toast, is found decapitated, her head apparently severed by a machete. Though police investigators believe that a Mexican gardener killed the young woman in a fit of jealous fury, the victim’s mother -a chilly high-society beauty - is having none of it. Reluctantly drawn in, Dave is quickly buffeted by a series of revelations that transform the bizarrely monstrous into the monstrously bizarre.

Underneath it all may exist one of the darkest criminal schemes imaginable. And as Gurney begins deciphering its grotesque outlines, some of his most cherished assumptions about himself are challenged, causing him to stare into an abyss so deep that it threatens to swallow not just him but Madeleine, too.

Desperate to protect Madeleine and bring an end to the madness, Gurney ultimately discovers that the killer has left a trace after all. Unfortunately, the revelation may come too late to save his own life.

With Shut Your Eyes Tight, John Verdon delivers on the promise of his internationally best-selling debut, Think of a Number, creating a portrait of evil let loose across generations that is as rife with moments of touching humanity as it is with spellbinding images of perversity.

Also listen to Think of a Number.

©2011 John Verdon (P)2011 Random House Audio

Critic reviews

"Verdon, who hit a home run with his debut novel, Think of a Number, has now nailed another one." (Booklist)

"Verdon follows Think of a Number, his sensational debut featuring retired NYPD detective Dave Gurney, with this standout sequel, set a year later [with] a bizarre, high-profile murder…an apparent impossibility involving the murder weapon, and once again… a relationship in crisis." (Publishers Weekly)

Same old,same old

These fictional crime writers seem to have a checklist they follow weather it applies to the story or not :Murdered or dead relative or significant person in protagonists past ; Romantic interest or family doesn't understand our hero's calling to solve murders ;Nasty cops who want to make it difficult for our guy to do his job; The rich who aren't only different they have no honest caring human feelings and of course if there are teenage girls, make them sluts The checklist goes on but I will not bore you further. I'm just bored trying to find a good police procedural. John Verdon seems to be a good writer.Or maybe Scott Bricks wonderful narration made me believe this. If Verdon showed some creativity and threw the list away I'd be interested to see how good he could be. P S At least Dave Gurley is not a drunk. We can be grateful for that.

An excellent read

The author managed to write an entertaining doozy of a story while still being plausible. Psychological insights were deep and characters fascinating. I didn't want the book to end.

As good as the first

I don't have a huge review to write. The title says it all. If you read the first one - Then you'll prbably enjoy this one as well. If you didn't read the first one - Why the heck are you getting this one ;-) I didn't hate Scott Brick's narration - That was good.

A must read!

Scott Brick doesn't disappoint! Tha main character is a unyielding murder detective. The suspense between him and his wife is just as suspenseful as the murders! Their marriage is teetering on the precipice, while MC is struggling with his dark past. Painful memories, conflict resolution didn't come quickly! A wonderful drama and thriller all in one! Loved it!

All the way to the end.....

Very good story line. Scott Brick does an incredible job (as he always does!!) in creating the persona of each character with his voice.

Well paced action and events throughout book.

John Verdon keeps one captured to the end, with some clues, if you keep your eyes open!!

Unexpected

Desperate to find a narrator who doesn't making listening painful I tried this author because Scott Brick narrates the story. I was amazed that I'd never heard of this author before because the book was terrific. Full of suspense, never boring, ending completely unexpected. I'll look for more books by this author.

Good Follow-up to "Think of a Number"

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Shut Your Eyes Tight is certainly worth a listen. The narration was unobtrusive and the plot was intriguing.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

I was dissapointed with the shear number of loose ends left at the end of this book. The set-up and climax of the novel were awesome but the story ends abruptly with virtualy no resolution to many of the most interesting plot lines.That being said it was an enjoyable experience, one that I recommend to all readers of the first book in the David Gurney series.

Not Quite 4 Stars - I Rounded Up For The Narrator

This story had all the potential to be a solid 4 star book. Through the first half of the book I was sure it was going to be 4 stars excluding Gurney's annoying wife. The premise was interesting and there were many directions the story could have gone. Unfortunately, the ending fell somewhat flat. I think the interjection of the brownstone scene with Gurney was forced and resolution of that encounter in the ending was inadequate.

I hope in future books the author includes less of Gurney's wife and focuses more on the plot. I also think the dialogue between Hardwick and Gurney is repetitive. Hardwick and his interaction with Gurney became more obnoxious as the story progressed. I also don't think the author needs to take a paragraph to describe a basic shower. Focus on the plot and be less descriptive on pointless things. This is just a detective story; not a classic piece of literary fiction. Hopefully in the future the editors will work on his wordiness.

Overall the book was 3.5 stars but I rounded up to 4 stars for Scott Brick's narration.

John Verdon

This is the second book by John Verdon I’ve listened to and now I’m addicted. I loved this book.

Shut Your Eyes Tight

This is the first book I have read by John Verdon and found the book very entertaining. Since Scott Brick is one of my favorite narrarators, I decided to give it a try. I will look for other books by John in the future.